Have Australians fallen out of love with Sydney and Melbourne?

Australians take their lifestyles seriously, so could coronavirus-induced flexibility change their living preferences forever?

We Australians live in an enviable country – white-sand beaches, rugged mountain ranges, and a sparse and stunning outback.

Yet though many Aussies have long dreamt of living by the seaside, or in a quaint rural town, large employment hubs in urban areas like Sydney and Melbourne have tied a significant portion of the population to the inland suburbs of the largest cities. Until the pandemic that is.

In addition to all the troubles and sadness, coronavirus has changed the way many of us work, largely due to the mainstream adoption of home-working that looks set to continue once the pandemic is finally over.

This means that for some – notably wealthier white-collar workers who have the option to work remotely – they can leave the busy and expensive large cities, and move somewhere much quieter and cheaper in pursuit of a better lifestyle.